Cross Stitched Birth Sampler

Do you have any of those embarrassing projects that were almost done, but then somehow never made it to the finish line? My sampler should qualify, having been made for my (now 30 year old) son shortly after he was born. I finished the sampler in a reasonable amount of time, but it has languished in various drawers and boxes all these years. I not only didn’t manage to get it framed — today is the first time it’s ever been ironed.

I did finish and frame a little Elliott birth sampler for his grandparents, but since I didn’t make any samplers for Emily (the poor second child), I would have felt guilty about displaying this one. Also, after it was finished, I realized it looked awfully girly for a little boy. It would have been a good choice for Emily, who loves bows.

The sampler was made from a Better Homes and Gardens mail order pattern, which was still in the bag with the sampler. The pattern called for floss colors that were more muted with much darker blues; I wanted something brighter. The design is 10 1/2″ square, stitched on ivory linen.